Fear and grief have swept through Sokoto State once again after a tragic boat accident claimed the lives of several villagers in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.
The victims were fleeing a fresh wave of attacks by Lakurawa terrorists when their overloaded boat capsized mid-river.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the incident on Saturday, noting that search and rescue operations are still underway to recover missing bodies.
Authorities, however, admitted that the exact number of passengers on board remains unknown.
Eyewitnesses said the victims were desperate residents trying to escape marauding bandits who have tightened their grip on rural communities.
In their frantic bid for safety, dozens boarded the ill-fated boat, which sank halfway, plunging its passengers into the water.
This latest mishap marks the fourth fatal boat disaster in Sokoto within just two months, intensifying public concern about both insecurity and unsafe transport conditions across the state.
Sabon Birni and surrounding communities have long been under siege. Lakurawa insurgents and other armed gangs frequently launch deadly raids, killing, abducting, and displacing entire families.
Despite repeated government promises to restore peace, the attackers continue to mount checkpoints, burn farmlands, and drive villagers into forced migration.
The symbolism of this latest tragedy has not been lost on locals. Sabon Birni is the hometown of the state’s Deputy Governor, Idris Muhammad Gobir, underscoring the grim reality that no community is spared, regardless of political relevance.
Civil society groups and community leaders have sharply criticized the government’s response, accusing authorities of failing to address both the relentless banditry and recurring boat mishaps that have now claimed dozens of innocent lives.
Security experts warn that without urgent and coordinated intervention, Sokoto could slide deeper into a cycle of violence, displacement, and avoidable tragedies.
They stress the need for stronger security presence, safer evacuation measures, and investment in reliable water transport infrastructure.
For now, the families of Sabon Birni victims wait helplessly by the riverbanks as divers and rescue teams search for loved ones.
Many fear the recovery effort will end in more sorrow, with several villagers unlikely to return alive.